Later Breech Loading Artillery

For images of the ordnance listed here, click on the appropriate link.

Designation Bore Type Length
(calibres)
Weight Projectile
Weight
Muzzle Velocity
(f/s)
Used by the Royal Navy Used by the British Army

Notes

16.25" BL Mk.I 16.25" BL 30 110 tons 1800 lbs. 2085 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Introduced into service 1885. Used aboard HMS Benbow, HMS Victoria, and HMS Sans Pareil.

13.5" BL Mk.I, Mk.II, Mk.III, and Mk.IV 13.5" BL 30 67 tons 1250 lbs. 2025 x -

Introduced into service 1882. Used aboard HMS Howe, HMS Rodney, HMS Anson, HMS Camperdown, HMS Nile, HMS Trafalgar, HMS Hood, HMS Empress of India, HMS Ramillies, HMS Repulse, HMS Resolution, HMS Revenge, HMS Royal Oak, and HMS Royal Sovereign.

12" BL Mk.X 12" BL 45 58 tons 850 lbs. 2700 x -

Vickers. Used aboard HMS Lord Nelson and HMS Agamemnon.

12" BL Mk.IX 12" BL 40 50 tons 850 lbs. 2750 x -

Vickers. Introduced into service 1898. Used aboard HMS Formidable, HMS Irresistible, HMS Implacable, HMS Bulwark, HMS London, HMS Venerable, HMS Queen, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Albemarle, HMS Cornwallis, HMS Duncan, HMS Exmouth, HMS Montagu, and HMS Russell.

12" BL Mk.VIII 12" BL 35 46 tons 850 lbs. 2367 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Introduced into service 1893. Used aboard HMS Caesar, HMS Hannibal, HMS Illustrious, HMS Jupiter, HMS Majestic, HMS Magnificent, HMS Mars, HMS Prince George, HMS Victorious, HMS Albion, HMS Canopus, HMS Glory, HMS Goliath, HMS Ocean, and HMS Vengeance.

12" BL Mk.VI and Mk.VII 12" BL 25 45 tons 714 lbs. 2000 - x

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at No Man's Land and Horse Sand Forts (Spithead).

12" BL Mk.IV and Mk.V 12" BL 25 45 tons 714 lbs. 2000 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used aboard HMS Edinburgh, HMS Hero, and HMS Collingwood.

12" BL Mk.III 12" BL 25 45 tons 714 lbs. 2000 x -

Armstrong's (Elswick). Introduced into service 1880. Used aboard HMS Colossus and HMS Conqueror.

12" BL Mk.I and Mk.II 12" BL 25 45 tons 714 lbs. 2000 x x

Used aboard HMS Colossus, HMS Conqueror, and HMS Collingwood. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at No Man's Land and Horse Sand Forts (Spithead).

10" BL Mk.VII 10" BL 45 31 tons 500 lbs. - x -

Used aboard HMS Triumph.

10" BL Mk.VI 10" BL 45 39 tons 500 lbs. - x -

Armstrong's (Elswick). Used aboard HMS Swiftsure.

10" BL Mk.IV 10" BL 32 29 tons 10 cwt. 500 lbs. 2040 x x

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Introduced into service 1890. Used aboard HMS Renown. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Sheerness, Harwich, Coalhouse Fort (Thames), Plymouth, Milford Haven, Bombay, Malta, and Karachi.

10" BL Mk.III 10" BL 32 29 tons 10 cwt. 500 lbs. 2040 x x

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Introduced into service 1888. Used aboard HMS Thunderer, HMS Devastation, HMS Barfleur, and HMS Centurion, and as the secondary armament of HMS Sans Pareil. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Sheerness, Harwich, Coalhouse Fort (Thames), Plymouth, Milford Haven, Bombay, Malta, Karachi, and Singapore.

10" BL Mk.II 10" BL 32 29 tons 10 cwt. 500 lbs. 2040 x x

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Introduced into service 1885. Used aboard HMS Thunderer and as the secondary armament of HMS Victoria. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Sheerness, Harwich, Coalhouse Fort (Thames), Plymouth, Milford Haven, Bombay, Malta, and Karachi.

10" BL Mk.I 10" BL 32 32 tons 500 lbs. 2040 - x

Armstrong's (Elswick). Introduced into service 1884. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Aden, Halifax, and Hong Kong.

9.45" BL Howitzer Mk.1 9.45" BL 8 6 tons 9 cwt. 280 lbs. 928 - x

Skoda. Introduced into service 1904.

9.2" BL Mk.X 9.2" BL 46.7 28 tons 6 cwt. 380 lbs. 2748 x x

Used aboard HMS Aboukir, HMS Cressy, HMS Drake, HMS Leviathan, HMS Baccante, HMS Euryalus, HMS Houge,  HMS Sutlej, HMS King Alfred, and HMS Good Hope. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun.

9.2" BL Mk.IX 9.2" BL 46.7 26 tons 16 cwt. 380 lbs. 2748 x x

Used aboard the Royal Navy's Gunnery School gunboat HMS Drudge. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Needles, Malta, and Gibraltar.

9.2" BL Mk.VIII 9.2" BL 40 25 tons 380 lbs. 2329 x -

Used aboard HMS Powerful and HMS Terrible.

9.2" BL Mk.VII 9.2" BL 31.5 22 tons 380 lbs. 2065 x -

Used at Shoeburyness.

9.2" BL Mk.VI 9.2" BL 31.5 22 tons 380 lbs. 2065 x x

Used aboard HMS Warspite, HMS Aurora, HMS Galatea, HMS Immortalite, HMS Narcissus,   HMS Pincher, HMS Rupert, HMS Alexandra, HMS Blake, HMS Blenheim, HMS Edgar, HMS Endymion, HMS Gibraltar, HMS Grafton, HMS Hawke, HMS St.George, HMS Theseus, HMS Crescent, and HMS Royal Arthur. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Sheerness, Malta, Gibraltar, Colombo, Mauritius, and Simons Bay.

9.2" BL Mk.V 9.2" BL 31.5 22 tons 380 lbs. 2065 x -

Used aboard HMS Australia, HMS Orlando, and HMS Undaunted.

9.2" BL Mk. IV 9.2" BL 31.5 23 tons 380 lbs. 2065 - x

Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Lough Swilly, Malta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Colombo, Table Bay, and Sierra Leone.

9.2" BL Mk.III 9.2" BL 31.5 24 tons 380 lbs. 2065 x -

Used aboard HMS Imperieuse.

9.2" BL Mk.II 9.2" BL 25.5 21 tons 380 lbs. 1781 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used aboard the Royal Navy's Gunnery School gunboat HMS Snake.

9.2" BL Mk.I 9.2" BL 25.5 22 tons 380 lbs. 1781 - x

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Introduced into service 1881. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Slough Fort (Thames), Inchkeith, Lough Swilly, and Jamaica.

8" BL Mk.VII 8" BL 26 14 tons 210 lbs. 1800 - x

Armstrong's (Elswick). Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Singapore.

8" BL Mk.VI 8" BL 29.6 15 tons 210 lbs. 2200 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used aboard HMS Magdala and HMS Abyssinia.

8" BL Mk.IV 8" BL 29.6 15 tons 210 lbs. 2200 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used aboard HMS Mersey, HMS Severn, HMS Forth, and HMS Thames.

8" BL Mk.III 8" BL 25.6 14 tons 8 cwt. 210 lbs. 1987 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used aboard HMS Bellerophon and  the Royal Navy's Gunnery School gunboats HMS Bustard, HMS Bonetta, HMS Pike, and HMS Snap.

7.5" BL Mk.2 7.5" BL 50 36 tons 15 cwt. 200 lbs. 2840 - x

Introduced into service 1905. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun in India.

6" BL Mk.VII and Mk.VIII 6" BL 44.9 7 tons 8 cwt. 100 lbs. 2536 x x

Vickers. Introduced into service 1898. Used aboard HMS Formidable, HMS Irresistible, HMS Implacable, HMS Bulwark, HMS London, HMS Venerable, HMS Queen, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Albemarle, HMS Cornwallis, HMS Duncan, HMS Exmouth, HMS Montagu, HMS Russell, HMS Centurion, HMS Barfleur, HMS Aboukir, HMS Baccante, HMS Cressy, HMS Euryalus, HMS Houge,  HMS Sutlej, HMS Drake, HMS Leviathan,  HMS King Alfred, HMS Good Hope, HMS Bedford, HMS Berwick, HMS Cornwall, HMS Cumberland, HMS Donegal, HMS Essex, HMS Kent, HMS Lancaster, HMS Monmouth, HMS Suffolk, HMS Narcissus, HMS Immortalite, HMS Undaunted, HMS Endymion, HMS Theseus, HMS Edgar, HMS Grafton, HMS Highflyer, HMS Hyacinth, HMS Vindictive, HMS Bonaventure, HMS Cambrian, HMS Charybdis, HMS Flora, HMS Forte, HMS Hermione, HMS Diana, HMS Dido, HMS Doris, HMS Isis, HMS Juno, HMS Minerva,  HMS Talbot, and HMS Venus. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun and Siege Gun.

6" BL Mk.V 6" BL 30.5 - 100 lbs. 1920 x x

Armstrong's (Elswick). Used aboard H.M.Q.S. Gayundah, H.M.Q.S. Paluma, H.M.C.S. Protector, and H.M.V.S. Albert. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun at Hong Kong.

6" BL Mk. IV and Mk.VI 6" BL 25.5 5 tons 100 lbs. 1960 x x

Introduced into service 1889. Used aboard HMS Colossus, HMS Edinburgh, HMS Conqueror, HMS Hero, HMS Collingwood, HMS Anson, HMS Camperdown, HMS Howe, HMS Rodney, HMS Benbow, HMS Victoria, HMS Sans Pareil, HMS Imperieuse, HMS Warspite, HMS Aurora, HMS Australia, HMS Galatea, HMS Immortalite, HMS Narcissus, HMS Orlando, HMS Undaunted, HMS Calypso, HMS Calliope, HMS Amphion, HMS Arethusa, HMS Leander, HMS Phaeton, HMS Mersey, HMS Severn, HMS Thames, HMS Forth, HMS Marathon, HMS Magicienne, HMS Medea, HMS Medusa, HMS Melpomene, HMS Andromache, HMS Apollo, HMS Indefatigable, HMS Intrepid, HMS Latona, HMS Melampus, HMS Naiad, HMS Pique, HMS Rainbow, HMS Retribution, HMS Sappho, HMS Scylla, HMS Sirius, HMS Spartan, HMS Sybille, HMS Terpischore, HMS Thetis, HMS Tribune, HMS Achilles, HMS Bellerophon, HMS Black Prince, HMS Northumberland, HMS Rupert, HMS Champion, HMS Cleopatra, HMS Curacoa, HMS Tourmaline, HMS Curlew, HMS Landrail, HMS Blazer, HMS Bulldog, HMS Kite, HMS Plucky, HMS Agamemnon, HMS Ajax, HMS Hotspur, HMS Raleigh, HMS Boadicea, HMS Volage, HMS Active, HMS Canada, HMS Cordelia, HMS Comus, HMS Satellite, HMS Hyacinth, HMS Royalist, HMS Rapid,  HMS Emerald, HMS Dolphin, HMS Pelican, HMS Wild Swan, HMS Sphinx,  HMS Achilles, HMS Minotaur, HMS Agincourt, HMS Northumberland. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence and semi-mobile Siege Gun.

6" BL Mk.III 6" BL 25.5 5 tons 100 lbs. 1960 x -

Used aboard HMS Rupert, HMS Bellerophon, HMS Leander, HMS Phaeton, HMS Tourmaline, and HMS Bulldog.

6" BL Mk.II 6" BL 26 4 tons 100 lbs. 1672 x -

Royal Gun Factory (Woolwich). Used aboard HMS Agamemnon, HMS Ajax, HMS Hotspur, HMS Raleigh, HMS Boadicea, HMS Baccante, HMS Euryalus, HMS Volage, HMS Active, HMS Canada, HMS Cordelia, HMS Comus, HMS Satellite, HMS Heroine, HMS Hyacinth, HMS Royalist, HMS Rapid,  HMS Emerald, HMS Dolphin, HMS Pelican, HMS Wanderer, HMS Wild Swan, and HMS Sphinx.

6" BL Mk.I 6" BL 26.3 4 tons 80 lbs. 1880 x -

Armstrong's (Elswick). Introduced into service 1880. Used aboard HMS Rover.

6" BLC Mk. I/IV and Mk.I/VI 6" BL 26.6 12 tons 1 cwt. 100 lbs. 2166 - x

Introduced into service 1902. Converted from 6" BL Mk.IV and Mk.VI guns. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun and Siege Gun.

6" 30 cwt. BL Howitzer Mk.1 6" BL 14 3 tons 9 cwt. 118.5 lbs. 777 - x

Introduced into service 1896. Standard Army Siege Howitzer during the 1890s and 1900s.

6" 25 cwt. BL Howitzer Mk.1 6" BL 12 3 tons 5 cwt. 112.5 lbs. 781 - x

Introduced into service 1895. Standard Indian Army Siege Howitzer during the 1890s and 1900s.

5.4" BL Howitzer Mk.1 5.4" BL 10 - 60 lbs. 781 - x

Introduced into service 1895. Standard Indian Army Field Howitzer during the 1890s and 1900s.

60 pdr. BL Mk.1 5" BL 32 2 tons 8 cwt. 60 lbs. 2080 - x

Introduced into service 1904. Standard Divisional Heavy Artillery Gun during World War I.

5" BL Mk. I, Mk. II, Mk.III, Mk.IV, and Mk.V 5" BL 25 2 tons 50 lbs. 1750 x x

Used aboard HMS Swiftsure, HMS Raleigh, HMS Emerald, HMS Tourmaline, HMS Garnet, HMS Champion, HMS Cleopatra, HMS Curacoa, HMS Satellite, HMS Rapid, HMS Caroline, HMS Pylades, HMS Calypso, HMS Calliope, HMS Pelican, HMS Wild Swan, HMS Espeigle, HMS Mutine, HMS Gannet, HMS Dolphin, HMS Wanderer, HMS Mariner, HMS Acorn, HMS Icarus, HMS Melita, HMS Racer, HMS Reindeer, HMS Nymphe, HMS Buzzard, HMS Daphne, HMS Swallow, HMS Beagle, HMS Basilisk, HMS Iris, HMS Mercury, HMS Alacrity, HMS Surprise, HMS Fearless, HMS Scout, HMS Albacore, HMS Mistletoe, and HMS Watchful. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun and on an 'over-bank' carriage in field works in India.

5" BL Howitzer Mk.1 5" BL 8.4 1 ton 3 cwt. 50 lbs. 788 - x

Introduced into service 1895. Standard Army Field Howitzer during the 1890s.

40 pdr. BL - BL - - - - - x

Standard Army Heavy Field Gun during the 1890s.

4" BL Mk.II, Mk.III, Mk.IV, Mk.V, and Mk.VI 4" BL 27 1 tons 6 cwt. 25 lbs. 1900 x -

Used aboard numerous ships. Used by the Army as a Coastal Defence Gun and on an 'over-bank' carriage in field works in India.

4" BL Mk.I 4" BL 25 1 tons 2 cwt. 25 lbs. 1900 x -

Withdrawn from service after an accident in 1891.

4" BL 13 cwt. Mk.I 4" BL 14.8 13 cwt. 25 lbs. 1180 x -

Withdrawn from service after an accident in 1891.

30 pdr. BL Mk.1 4" BL 27 - 30 lbs. 1651 - x

Introduced into service 1892. Standard Indian Army Heavy Field Gun during the 1890s and 1900s.

15 pdr. BL Mk.1 and Mk.2 3" BL 28 19 cwt. 14 lbs. 1590 - x

Standard Army Field Gun during the 1890s.

15 pdr. BLC Mk.1 3" BL 28 18 cwt. 14 lbs. 1590 - x

Introduced into service 1907. Converted from 15 pdr. BL Mk.1 and Mk.2 guns. Fitted with a hydro-spring recoil system.

12 pdr. 7 cwt. BL 3" BL 28 38 cwt. 12 lbs. 1750 x x

Armstrong's (Elswick). Introduced into service 1881. Standard Army Horse Artillery and Field Gun during the 1880s.

12 pdr. 6 cwt. BL Mk.4 3" BL 22 17 cwt. 12½ lbs. 1585 - x

Introduced into service 1894. Standard Army Horse Artillery Gun during the 1890s.

10 pdr. JBL Mk.1 2.75" BL 26.3 - 10 lbs. 1289 - x

Introduced into service 1901 to replace the Screw Gun.

2.75" BL Mk.1 2.75" BL 26.3 11.5 cwt. 12.5 lbs. 1290 - x

Introduced into service 1914 to replace 10 pdr. JBL Mk.1 Gun.

Key

BL = Breech Loading Gun
BLC = Breech Loading Gun (Converted)
cwt. = Hundredweight (112 lbs.)
f/s = feet per second
JBL = Jointed Breech Loading Gun
JRML = Jointed Rifled Muzzle Loading Gun
lbs. = pound
Mk. = Mark
pdr. = pounder
QF = Quick Firing Gun
QFC = Quick Firing Gun converted from a Breech Loading Gun
RML = Rifled Muzzle Loading Gun
SBBL = Smooth Bore Breech Loading Gun
SBML = Smooth Bore Muzzle Loading Gun
ton = 20 cwt. or 2240 lbs.

For images of the ordnance listed here, click on the appropriate link.

© Robert George Cordery (2005)